Schools in Maharashtra to have a five-day work week

From the ensuing academic year 2015-2016, schools in Maharashtra will be able to opt for a five-day working week, the state government said on Wednesday.

The relevant orders were issued to the concerned academic authorities after long discussions with the Maharashtra Education Secretary Nand Kumar.

According to Shikshak Bharati president and Congress legislator Kapil Patil, the move applies to all private and government run primary and secondary schools across the state.

“The decks have been cleared for all schools to plan out a five-day working week on a voluntary basis without violating the provisions of Right To Education Act.

Following the decision, secondary school sections (Class VI-X) would work from 7 a.m.-12.30 p.m., while primary sections (Class I-V) would function from 1-5.30 p.m., well within the RTE norms”, he said.

Since the schools have already closed for summer vacations now, it will be applicable from the next academic year starting June,” Patil told a news agency.

Following the decision, the students, parents, teachers, non-teaching staff and managements will undergo less stress and tensions.

Speaking on further benefits of the move, Patil said, “This will prove a boon for schools in cities like Mumbai, where teachers, non-teaching staffers and students have to commute long distances by suburban trains or school buses and drastically reduce stress levels which would benefit all stake-holders.

It would also release the weekends for extra-curricular activities by the students and the school premises can be utilised for other productive purposes”, he said.

Shikshak Bharati had been campaigning since long for a five-day working week for schools in the state as it could have several long term academic and extra-curricular benefits, he added.

Senior office-bearer of Shikshak Bharati Subhash More, who joined Patil in the discussions, said the existing six-days working week followed by most schools with up to two eight-hour shifts was like a jail sentence for the students and teachers, but now the situation would change drastically.

Patil and More also explained how the RTE Act, 2011 did not in any manner hamper the decision of a five-day working week.

At a time of tepid job growth and continuing income disparities, the major challenge is to make the youth of the country entrepreneurial and not job seekers, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday.

“Disparities continue to remain in India and so there is a need for inclusive growth… there is the need to take care of the suppressed, oppressed and depressed,” Venkaiah Naidu said at the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust’s (BYST) silver jubilee celebrations here with Britain’s Prince Charles as the chief guest.

“The challenge for us is to make the youth entrepreneurial, and not become job seekers,” Venkaiah Naidu said pointing to the NDA government’s various initiatives to encourage youth enterprises like Startup India, Standup India and the Mudra financing scheme for underprivileged sections.

Modelled on Prince Charles’ Trust for business startups, BYST, founded by Lakshmi Venkatesan, daughter of former President R. Venkatraman, is engaged in building rural entrepreneurship — “grampreneurs” — as also enterprise among under-privileged sections, which includes business mentoring. The current BYST chairman is Bajaj Group chief, Rahul Bajaj.

“Without mentoring, it would be very difficult to set up startups, with all the business, marketing and other vital issues involved in the first two-three years,” Prince Charles said in his address at the International Mentoring Summit organized by BYST to mark its 25 years.

“What amazes me are the sheer number of jobs these young entrepreneurs had created. The aim of such a project should be to create a virtual cycle of creating entrepreneurs who can then invest in the future of business,” Charles said referring to his trust.

BYST was officially launched in 1992 by Prince Charles and expanded its operations to six major regions of India.

Out of these six regions, four — Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad — run the urban programme while two regions — Haryana and Maharashtra — run the rural programme.(IANS)

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan says at 75 he only seeks freedom from prominence, which has seen him face allegations in the Bofors scandal, Panama Papers case and most recently for “illegal construction” on his property.

“At this age and time of my life, I seek peace and freedom from prominence… To be left to lead the last few years of my life with and within myself… I do not seek epithets, I abhor them… I do not seek headlines, I do not deserve them/. I do not seek acknowledgment, I am not qualified for it,” Amitabh posted on his blog on Sunday.

Amitabh’s post comes just days after his lawyer denied any illegal construction on the actor’s property in Mumbai’s Goregaon East area in relation to a notice sent by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“The mentioned ‘notices’ have yet to be seen or served to me. But I guess in time it shall come.”

In the lengthy post, Amitabh said when there are accusations, “at times, I would prefer to correct the manner… At times it is prudent to remain quiet”.

But on an issue such as the BMC allegation, he said it’s the “system that shall resolve it, not the media”.

The actor, who has been in the industry for over four decades, also cited past examples, such as what he went through when his family’s name cropped up in the Bofors scandal.

“For years we were grilled, declared traitors, abused and humiliated by the hour for several years…,” he wrote, and further recalled how they moved against a UK paper and won.

He said how after almost 25 years later, their name was cleared in the scandal.

“When the media carried the news here in India, the press during one of its interactions with me asked me what I was going to do about it… Whether I would seek information on who did it or seek retribution.

“What retribution and information will I seek’ Will it take away the years of suffering and mental torture that we went through’ Will it cure… Will it rest’ No, it will not… So I told them, the media, I do not wish to make any comment on it… the matter is over for me.”

Amitabh Bachchan also brought up his mention in the Panama Papers leaks.

“We were asked for reactions, for responses, for justification or not, for replies to their investigative queries… Two instant replies were given out by us… Of denial and misuse of the name. They were printed… but the questions continued.”

“The fullest cooperation has been extended at all hours as dutiful citizens. And even after, if there is any more query that needs to be addressed, we shall comply,” he added.

In the end, he quoted a Jewish joke.

“A Jew passes away and goes to Heaven, knocks on the door of the Lord, and having suffered the ostracized life that the community has, asks the Lord: ‘Lord! Is it true that we are the chosen people” The Lord looked benevolently at the Jew and in a most gentle voice replied: ‘Yes my son .. you are the chosen people’. And the Jew replied: ‘Dear Lord… Would you mind choosing someone else for a change… Coz we’ve had enough!’”

Thane (Maharashtra) to be assessed for implementing district cooling system (Image:wikipedia)

Chennai, November 2, 2017: Thane in Maharashtra will be the first Indian city to be assessed for potential for implementation of district cooling system, said the Indian subsidiary of Danish company Danfoss A/S.

In a statement issued here, Danfoss Industries said: “As part of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, six cities in India including Thane, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Rajkot, Coimbatore and Bhopal have been chosen to explore District Energy systems.”

“Thane – also part of the Central Government’s Smart Cities Mission – will be the first city to be assessed for its potential for implementation of the district energy system,” it said.

Simply put, district cooling is a system where water is chilled at a central place and is sent to various buildings via pipelines to cool indoor air using the air conditioning system there.

According to Danfoss, district cooling systems are energy efficient and would reduce total power consumption for cooling buildings.

The water is not for human consumption.

“With the Central Government’s vision to build 100 smart cities and the UN’s District Energy in Cities initiative, we are certain that the six pilot projects of District Cooling which are being launched today, will serve as an inspiration for the rest of the country,” Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss Industries was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Danfoss has implemented both, district cooling and district heating technologies around the globe and we are now looking to showcase this expertise in India as well,” he added.(IANS)